It has been shown that genetic hypertension in rats usually "travels with the kidney". To elucidate the mechanism of this phenomenon further, experiments were carried out in the Prague hypertensive (PH) rat, a model of genetic hypertension derived from the Wistar strain, in which a normotensive parallel, the Prague normotensive (PN) rat, was also bred from the same parent pair. Thus, it is possible to transfer organs between both parallels without substantial signs of rejection and without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. Unilateral nephrectomy and transplantation of one kidney between PH and PN rats, did not affect the arterial blood pressure (BP). Transplantation of one kidney from PN rats to bilaterally nephrectomised PH rats normalised the high BP. If a PH rat was left with one original kidney in situ after the transplantation of a "normotensive" kidney, the high BP persisted until the original "hypertensive" kidney was removed. This removal resulted in sustained normalisation of BP. When the development of high BP in the PH rats was prevented for 2 months after weaning by antihypertensive drugs, transplantation of kidneys from these rats to bilaterally nephrectomised PN rats always induced a sustained hypertension in the recipient. These results argue against a role of high-BP-induced damage to the kidney and against an intrinsic increase in the salt-reabsorptive capacity of the tubular epithelium in PH rats. The data support the view that the kidney from PH rats produces a "hypertensinogenic" substance, the secretion of which is genetically determined and is not influenced by the magnitude of the BP.

A technologically improved variant of native stroma-free oxyhemoglobin (SFH) pretreated by carbontetrachloride and freeze-drying with 240 mM sucrose were reconstituted in a properly diluted ionic solution to reach the final concentration of 66 g oxyhemoglobin/L, osmolality 280-320 m0sm and pH 7.4. Cardioplegia of isolated rat heart was induced and maintained by this solution without recirculation for 3 h at 20 degrees C prior to heterotopic allo-transplantation of the graft. Evaluation of the survival and performance of each graft after 24 h and extent of tissue necroses indicated that the given standardly produced SFH variant ensured reproducible heart preservation from ischemic and reperfusion injury similarly as did the renown crystalloid cardioplegic solution CUSTODIOL.

The changes of the composition of blood lipoproteins caused by menopause could also change the effect of hypolipidemic therapy. Using an experimental model we studied the changes of serum lipids and the effect of immediate or delayed treatment with simvastatin on atherosclerosis after surgical menopause. Female golden Syrian hamster aged 6 months were fed hypercholesterolemic diet during the whole study. Atherosclerotic changes in thoracic and abdominal aortas were assessed by stereomicroscopic method after 12 weeks. Four experimental groups were studied: sham-operated animals (n=5), ovariectomized animals (n=9), ovariectomized animals treated for 12 weeks (n=10), and ovariectomized animals treated 4 weeks after ovariectomy for 8 weeks (n=9). The dose of simvastatin was 10 mg/kg of body weight. After 12 weeks, ovariectomized animals had tenfold higher concentration of triglycerides in LDL fraction and significantly higher prevalence of atherosclerosis than animals without ovariectomy. Treatment with simvastatin substantially decreased the prevalence of atherosclerotic changes, but otherwise did not change individual serum lipids including LDL cholesterol. However, it improved proportions of pro- and antiatherogenic serum lipids mainly by the increase of HDL cholesterol. The timing of simvastatin treatment had no significant effect on atherosclerotic changes or lipid parameters. Simvastatin treatment partly prevented atherosclerotic changes induced by ovariectomy. This effect was not mediated by decrease of LDL cholesterol, but by increase in HDL cholesterol.

The addition of stroma-free hemoglobin solution to a standard St. Thomas Hospital cardioplegic solution significantly protected the heart from ischemic damage compared to the effect of the same solution without added hemoglobin. An experimental model of rat heart cardioplegia and transplantation comprising heart arrest for three hours at 20 degrees C was used. The number of hearts performing strong contractions after cardioplegia with iso-oncotic oxyhemoglobin prior to transplantation was close to the results with histidine-buffered cardioplegic solution according to Bretschneider. Comparative biochemical model experiments in vitro confirmed that the positive effect of oxyhemoglobin was due predominantly to its buffering capacity. The role of oxygen transport to tissues by hemoglobin was limited only to the first minutes of cardioplegia since neither recirculation nor reoxygenation took place in the present experimental setting.

No abstract